Hello everyone! I have some great snack packing ideas to help anyone save money while traveling. Whether you’re flying and trying to escape those crazy airport prices, or road tripping with friends and family; here are 10 great snack ideas to keep you feeling satisfied and healthy while traveling. Let’s “take off” into these snack ideas, and please look out for a Part 2 with more deliciously helpful travel tips!
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1. Kale Chips
Whether you’re a fan of kale or not, you will love these healthy and customizable “chips.”
All that you need to do is add 4 cups of stemmed kale (chopped or ripped off the stem in ‘chip sized’ pieces) into a bowl. Toss with some olive oil, salt, or whatever seasonings you prefer. Pop these in an air fryer at 325° F for 7 minutes OR bake in the oven on 375° F for 10-12 minutes. That is it! These are easy, healthy, and delicious. Kale is rich with antioxidants, fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Try different seasonings or dipping them in tahini dressing, hummus, etc.
2. Veggies and Hummus
A simple healthy snack. Chop up some carrots, cucumber, celery, peppers, or whatever vegetables you have on hand to snack on. Eat them plain or with hummus, tahini dressing, etc. These are an obvious alternative to munching on chips, and will help you feel refreshed and hydrated while away from home. Pack them in a Reusable Silicone Bag, and you’re good to go.
3. Breakfast Burrito
This is my new favorite prepared snack to pack while traveling. Burritos are easy to prepare in batches, and they keep fairly well. I usually cook up some greens like spinach or kale, mushrooms, rice, and tofu scramble. Add some diced potatoes, avocado or guacamole, beans, cilantro, tomatoes, salsa, hot sauce, etc! There are so many different things that you can add to give you energy and keep you feeling full throughout those long exhausting travel days. Make a large batch of rice and cooked veggies to prep burritos for the whole family.
For the tofu scramble:
I use one 14 ounce container of firm tofu, dried as best as possible. Crumble it up into a large bowl. To the bowl add 1/4 cup of plant milk, 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons turmeric(this is important for the classic yellow “scrambled eggs” color), 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika. Gently mix everything together so that the tofu is evenly coated in the spices, taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking. In a skillet heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Sauté 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/2 a diced white onion for 2 minutes or until onions are slightly translucent. Add the tofu and spice mixture to the skillet and cook for 8 minutes or until the liquids have evaporated. Stir every couple of minutes. When there is around 1-2 minutes left to cook, I usually add chopped cilantro/parsley, or vegan cheese so that it gets melted in the scramble.
Add the scramble to your burritos along with the rice, beans, veggies, and whatever else you would like, and wrap in foil. These are great to eat on the go!
4. Granola
Homemade granola is fun to make, and a great portable snack that should stay fresh in an airtight container for your entire trip. It may be controversial to classify granola as “healthy,” because it tends to have lots of added sugars. But the basis of granola; nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and oats are what draw people to this snack as a healthy alternative. It is also extremely customizable so that you can make it your own.
Make Granola:
Preheat your oven to 300° F. In a large bowl add 3 cups of rolled oats, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, a 1/2 cup of chopped almonds, a 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds(or whatever nuts and seeds that you prefer), 3 tablespoons of chia seeds(or ground flaxseed), and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix. To a medium bowl add 1/3 cup nut butter or tahini, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup for sweetness, and 3/4 cups of mashed banana OR pumpkin puree OR unsweetened applesauce. Stir to combine. Next, combine the wet ingredients and the dry. Add everything to a baking pan and pack it down to create an even surface. Bake for 40 minutes total. Halfway through baking, flip the granola to bake everything evenly and press it back down. Once it is done, remove from oven and mix in dried blueberries or whatever you wish.
Granola is a good source of protein, healthy fats, and fibers. It can help to regulate your blood sugar levels.
5. Overnight Oats
The popular Overnight Oats are easy to make and can be customized in any way that you want. If you haven’t tried them, this is your chance. Take a jar or whatever container works best and add a 1/4 cup of rolled/old fashion oats, and a 1/4 cup of milk of your choice. Add 1 teaspoon of chia seeds. Chia seeds help regulate blood sugar, are good for digestion, are anti-inflammatory, high in fiber, potassium, antioxidants, calcium, omega-3, iron, protein, and magnesium. Add whatever you like to spice up your oats. I regularly add cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a small amount of maple syrup or honey or 1/4 mashed banana to sweeten. Be creative and add whatever you wish! When you’re ready to eat, you have many options for fresh toppings like yogurt, fruit, granola, nuts, or whatever you wish! I’ve never tried savory oats, but that is another idea to pack in whatever nutrients and flavors you enjoy. Overnight Oats can be made the night before a trip. They are great to eat for breakfast before an early flight, or anytime during your travels. You can eat them anytime after a couple hours in the fridge. If you’re not planning to eat them in the first 2 hours out of the fridge, it’s best to keep them in a cooler. Try out this Insulated Lunch Bag recommended for airline crew. It has a convenient sleeve to carry it on top of your luggage. Rolled oats are high in fiber and help to keep you full for longer while traveling.
6. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are an amazing source of healthy fats, proteins, fiber, and more! They contain nutrients for a healthy heart, brain, immune system, bones, and muscles. They help keep you energized throughout the day, and they travel great!
7. “Healthy Date Snickers”
I have just discovered this delicious way to enjoy dates. These will definitely take care of your candy bar cravings! All that you need to make this mouthwatering snack is however many Medjool Dates you would like to take with you, peanut butter, melted chocolate of your choice, and some sea salt to top. Cut the dates to take out the pit. Do not cut them completely in half. With a spoon, fill them with your choice of nut butter, and close the dates halfway. After melting some chocolate, coat the peanut butter stuffed dates with the chocolate, and top with a sprinkle of sea salt. Pop these in the freezer for no less than an hour, and they are ready to eat. Pack them in a cooler with some TSA approved Ice Packs. These were so surprisingly delicious and really knocked my sweet tooth cravings out of the park.
8. Falafel
Falafel is high in fiber to keep you feeling full. They are high in protein to keep you energized. This is a yummy way to pack in veggies and beans to keep you feeling great. And they are absolutely packed with vibrant flavor!
Soak 3 cups of raw chickpeas overnight. When you’re ready to make the falafel, rinse the chickpeas thoroughly in water. Add the drained chickpeas to your food processor with 3 cloves of garlic, 1 green chili or jalapeno, 1/2 cup of parsley, a 1/2 cup of cilantro, and one white onion. Use your food processor to chop everything up. Then add 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon red paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Blend again to mix in the spices. Add in 4 tablespoons of chickpea flour or whatever flour you have on hand. Mix well again. The consistency should not be dry or grainy, nor creamy; but able to form together. Create balls of the mixture gently, without packing them too hard. Heat up enough oil in a pot to fry the falafel in. Carefully add the balls to the hot oil to deep fry them. Fry on low/medium heat until golden brown. And there you go! These are great to bring along with you on a trip in Lightweight Stainless Steel Containers. Bring something to dip them in, or create pitas with falafel and veggies like lettuce, tomato, pickles onions, etc. Top with tahini dressing.
9. Vegan Tuna Sandwich
This is one of my absolute favorite things to make. This mock tuna salad recipe is created with the super chickpea! Chickpeas are an amazing source of protein and calcium, and they contain fiber to make you feel full longer. They are anti-inflammatory, and a great source of essential iron, magnesium, and potassium.
To make:
Add a can of drained chickpeas to a large bowl and mash them with a fork. Add in 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of sea salt (or more to taste), 1/4 cup of vegan mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 10 chopped capers, 1 finely chopped nori sheet, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar, and 1/4 cup of diced onion. Mix everything together and adjust to your liking.
You can eat this chickpea “tuna” salad as is, or as filling for wraps and sandwiches. Pack them in Reusable Beeswax Food Wraps.
10. Roasted Chickpeas
Again the chickpea! I cannot say enough good things about this legume, but I think that I covered all of the nutritional benefits that they can add to your diet in the snack ideas above. This is another way to get those key vitamins and minerals to make you feel refreshed while away from home. Roasting chickpeas makes them so easy to snack on, anywhere. These are the perfect alternative to munching on chips! They are super quick and easy to make.
Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, and then place them in a bowl of water. Rub the chickpeas between your palms to make the skins fall off and float to the top. Take out as many of the skins as you can. It’s alright if you don’t get them all. Taking the skins off will allow the seasonings to stick to the chickpeas better. Take them out of the water and pat them dry. Add them to a bowl and mix in 1/2 tablespoon of oil, salt to taste, and whatever other spices that you enjoy. Pour onto a baking pan with parchment paper, making sure that they aren’t overlapping. Bake on 400° F for 35 minutes. To make them super crispy you can turn off the oven heat and let the chickpeas bake for 10 more minutes.
Thank you for reading! I hope that you’re able to try out these snacks the next time that you’re on the move. I’m busy writing a Part 2, so keep an eye out for more travel snack ideas!
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